The Perfect Pair: Olivia & Jake (+ Merlot)

What started out as a double date with two friends in 2016, ended in the most incredible lavender-filled event - Olivia and Jake's September wedding. After being set up by two friends, Olivia and Jake went from strength to strength and celebrated their union with their most special people and of course, their furbaby, Merlot. We sat down with Olivia to hear more about her special day and her favourite vendors.

The Love Story

With both Olivia and Jake running their own businesses, the pair are a match made in heaven. "We are both career-driver, we never stop supporting each other's dreams," Olivia said. While the pair are dedicated to their businesses, Olivia and Jake make it a priority to take a breather every weekend and spend time together. "We both allow ourselves to switch off (well, we try!) and just enjoy time together with our furbaby, Merlot."

After holidaying in Hamilton Island in January of 2021, Jake had organised a private helicopter to the Whitsundays - where he, unbeknownst to Olivia, had the plan to propose. He had organised a beautiful private picnic on a private beach where he got down on one knee - at the last minute of course! "I had no idea, but I should have known because it was the first time he booked anything," Olivia recalls.

The Planning

Filled with pops of lilac, Olivia & Jake's wedding was soft and romantic.

"My favourtie colour has always been lilac/purple - so a lavender farm was just perfect," Olivia said. "Not that I would have ever guessed that my wedding colour scheme would be lavender but Jake loved the chapel as it was something different from a usual chapel."

"The other thing we loved was having everything in one place! It felt like a destination wedding without our guests needing to travel too far."

Speaking of guests, Olivia and Jake hosted 89 of their closest family and friends. The pair had a maid of honour, best man and two bridal party each.

"I would describe the style as Rustic/Romantic Vineyard - the styling matched the surroundings. A huge credit to my mum who did the styling - she should be a wedding stylist." Olivia said when asked about the style of her wedding.

One very special moment of their day was when their gorgeous pup, Merlot, walked their rings down the aisle! As well as the beautiful addition of having a special note to her dad on the aisle as they walked down, Olivia's brother as the MC, and even personalised dances to break the ice. All in all, the day was filled with a lot of love and personal touches.

The Dress

"White Lily has the best customer service - at the start, they let me know which dresses I could not pick from due to time frame and keep within my budget, this made everything so much easier for me. They helped me choose dresses based on my style and body shape - and the first dress they picked was the one I choose - my wedding stylist just nailed it." Olivia said.

"White Lily was only the second shop I attended and had many other wedding dress appointments after it - however, after my appointment and trying on the Martina Liana gown - I just had that feeling. My mum and MOH that was there with me - also had that feeling that this was the one. I then canceled all my appointments - and getting the dress just saved me so much stress!"

When asked about whether her gown was what she thought it was going to be though, Olivia said, "Not at all." In her head, she thought she would gravitate toward more of a mermaid style to show off her curves - even her friends thought this leading up to the wedding!

Regarding the advice, she would give future brides, "Don't be surprised if you do not pick a dress that you had in mind - I hear it happens all the time. Also, you will get the feeling when you find the one - so don't be pressured by other people's opinions."

The Finer Details

Olivia has described her day as the most perfect day - despite her wedding coordinator cutting her finger while setting up - her mum came to the rescue with a bible on how everything was supposed to be set up! Her mum sent her friend down with the bible to continue the setup and Olivia was none the wiser until the following day - talk about a super mum!